Montgomery’s Military Legacy Is Creating New Opportunity for the Future of Defense

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For generations, Montgomery has helped develop the leaders, doctrine and ideas that shape the United States Air Force. Today, as national defense becomes increasingly dependent on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data and digital technology, that legacy positions Montgomery at the intersection of military mission, technology, talent and industry.

It is a role rooted in generations of partnership and reflected in the Montgomery River Region’s designation as a Great American Defense Community. It is also at the heart of a commitment the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce has long embraced: Your Mission. Our Honor.

Few events demonstrate that intersection more clearly than the Department of the Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Education & Training Event, or DAFITC. In August, nearly 5,000 military, government, and industry professionals gathered in Montgomery for the 43rd DAFITC to collaborate on some of the most consequential technology challenges facing national defense. For 43 years, those conversations have been happening in Montgomery. Today, they are part of a much bigger story.

Where Mission Meets Innovation
Montgomery is home to a concentration of military missions with national reach. The 42nd Air Base Wing serves as the host wing for Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex and its many mission partners. Air University develops military leaders and helps shape education, doctrine and strategy across the Air Force. The 908th Flying Training Wing serves as the Air Force’s sole training unit for the MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter, while the 187th Fighter Wing at Dannelly Field brings fifth-generation combat capability through its F-35A mission. Montgomery is also home to the Alabama National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters.

Together, these missions give Montgomery an unusually broad role in leadership development, education, operational readiness, advanced aviation, technology, and national defense. Generations of military leaders have passed through Montgomery, creating connections between the region and installations around the world.

That foundation is increasingly intersecting with the future of warfare. Air University is connecting education, research, and analysis more directly with operational challenges facing the Joint Force, while initiatives such as Air Force Doctrine 2035 have brought warfighters, technologists, industry, and academia together at Maxwell to explore how artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, and other emerging technologies could shape future warfare.

DAFITC adds another critical piece by connecting military professionals working through mission challenges with industry partners developing potential solutions.

“Montgomery has a remarkable military legacy, but what excites us is what that legacy can mean for the future,” said Anna Buckalew, President & CEO of the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We have military missions, leadership development, technology, industry, and talent intersecting here. Our opportunity is to connect those assets in a way that strengthens the mission and creates new economic opportunity for this region.”

Building Around the Mission
Montgomery is also investing in the infrastructure, technology, and partnerships needed to build around that opportunity. In March, $3.65 million in federal funding was announced for two initiatives: $2 million for the Alabama Capital Maxwell Gateway Project and $1.65 million for the Montgomery Regional Tech and Innovation Ecosystem Initiative.

The Maxwell Capital Gateway is designed to strengthen the physical connection between Maxwell Air Force Base and downtown Montgomery, while the technology initiative includes development of a 20,000-square-foot downtown innovation lab supporting training in cybersecurity, cloud services, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. Together, these investments support a broader strategy: connect military missions with technology, talent, infrastructure, and industry to t strengthen national defense and make the regional economy more competitive.

A $7.1 Million Demonstration of Defense’s Reach
DAFITC demonstrates that the impact of Montgomery’s defense mission extends well beyond the installation. The 2026 event brought nearly 5,000 attendees and more than 200 industry vendors to Montgomery and generated an estimated $7,1M in regional economic impact, up from approximately $5 million in 2025.

Montgomery Regional Airport saw Sunday passenger traffic increase by 3,166 passengers year over year. Car rental activity increased 35% on Sunday and 46% on Monday. Regional hotel occupancy reached approximately 88%, up 4% year over year, compared with typical Montgomery submarket occupancy in the low to mid-60% range.

Experience Montgomery worked to extend that impact into the community through the DAFITC Kick-Off Bash at Commerce Music Hall, where local restaurants, entertainment venues and downtown businesses helped welcome military, government and industry professionals to Montgomery. A companion DAFITC Bash Trail encouraged attendees to explore participating businesses throughout downtown. More than a visitor experience, the effort demonstrated how Montgomery’s business community embraces its military partners and rallies around major events like DAFITC, extending the conference experience into the community while driving additional economic activity.

But DAFITC’s greater value goes beyond visitor spending. Military leaders identify challenges. Industry demonstrates solutions. Relationships are formed. Businesses gain exposure to defense opportunities. And Montgomery becomes the place where those connections happen. That is the larger opportunity: a nationally significant defense presence that strengthens the mission while creating economic activity, attracting talent and industry, and connecting thousands of military, government, and technology professionals to the Montgomery River Region.
 
Your Mission. Our Honor.
Montgomery’s relationship with the military has never been defined by a single event or installation. It is a community commitment built across generations through support for military missions and families, advocacy for investment and infrastructure, and partnerships among the military, business community and public sector. That commitment helped earn the Montgomery River Region recognition as a Great American Defense Community. Today, it is helping position the region for what comes next.

As artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced aviation, data and digital capabilities become increasingly central to national defense, Montgomery has an opportunity to turn the strength of its existing military missions into new innovation, investment and economic opportunity. The mission is evolving. Montgomery is helping shape what comes next.

For a community whose commitment is Your Mission. Our Honor., that is both an opportunity and a responsibility.

View and download digital media: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD391Y  and DAFITC BASH: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD3xdS

ABOUT THE MONTGOMERY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
With a mission to drive economic prosperity and build a greater life for all in the capital region, the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce is a full-spectrum economic development public/private partnership representing 1,400 businesses and organizations with over 90,000 employees throughout Central Alabama.
 
ABOUT EXPERIENCE MONTGOMERY
Experience Montgomery, a division of the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce, is the official destination marketing organization for Montgomery, Alabama, and a leading tourism driver for the River Region. With a focus on sharing the city’s powerful story and unmatched southern hospitality, Experience Montgomery promotes the region as a hub for history, culture, sports, outdoor adventure, and group travel—including meetings, conferences, and tournaments. By attracting visitors and events to the area, the organization helps drive regional economic growth, support small businesses, create jobs, and enhance quality of life throughout Central Alabama. Learn more at www.experiencemontgomeryal.org.